The Messenger
by Rinslet
Summary: “If you find my husband…” her hold onto her skirt tightened. “You want me to bring him back here?” I asked. “No…tell him that Sakura Li is waiting for him…” AU
1. Chapter I

A/N: Note that the fic is in a POV.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own CCS, it rightfully belongs to the talented CLAMP.

English is not my first language, so forgive me if I make mistakes…

**Summary: **"If you find my husband…" her hold onto her skirt tightened. "You want me to bring him back here?" I asked. "No…tell him that Sakura Li is waiting for him…" AU one-shot.

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_The Messenger  
by Rinslet_

**-Soldier's POV-**

I watched her as she slid the herbal tea toward me with great care. She then sat back down in front of me and looked at me expectantly.

"So…you knew my husband?"

"Yes ma'am, I served under him for three years before moving into another division."

"I see…" Her emerald eyes shifted down, contemplating nothing in particular. She was deep in thought.

I took a sip from my cup. "A question, if I may ask…"

Her head titled upward. "Yes?"

She looked at me gently, curious about what I was about to say. Her beauty caught my words, but I forced them out "How…how did you meet the general? I find it hard to believe that he's……uh…married."

I thought back at his serious face, ready to bite us when someone made a mistake during training. His scar over the right eye, the missing arm and the boastful attitude that made me wanna kick his…

She laughed, as if expecting this. She must've had heard it thousand of times before. Good, it's not only me that thinks that way about the general. But seriously, him and her? Together? It's like matching a wild wolf with a deer.

She giggled "Hmm, well you see…"

She told me of how she used to be a wild child. One day, when she was about 16 years old, she climbed a tree in hope of rescuing a kitten. The branch under her couldn't resist under her weight and cracked. Instead of hurting herself, she fell right onto him. (A/n: looks familiar?)

"_I thought I saw a demon falling on me." He said gruffly and shoved her off him._

I sweatdropped.

The General really didn't have any manners with women, which enforced my doubt of them being actually married.

"Of course, we started off on bad terms, but over time, we learned to love each other. It wasn't easy and…"

She continued to describe several of their times together (boy she could talk) while moving her hands, detailing everything with passion and serenity. Her expression softened at the reminiscence of peaceful times and hardened when their fights were evoked. She then concluded with a few of the general's hobbies which included martial arts practicing, fighting, slaying demons, practicing, fighting, slaying, practicing, fighting, slaying and so on…

I bit my tongue in order to not spill out a rude comment and spoil the mood.

Sensing my distaste on the matter, she pressed on earnestly "But he's a nice man when you get to know him."

_Right._

I nodded and stood up, taking care not to worsen my fractured leg. I winced as my balance became unstable, causing me to hop around.

"Are you going back to the camp?" Her reaction was automatic as she quickly went to my side to assist me to the door.

"Yeah. My regiment probably came back already" I reached for the wooden staff and my gear which she handed to me.

I then bowed deeply, despite her protest. "Thank you for saving me. If you haven't decided to pass into the forest today, I would've never have been found and would've died there… Arigatou Gozaimashita."

"Ah, I…" she started.

I looked back up, raising an eyebrow "Yes?"

Hesitantly, she took out an expensive-looking slender stick from her hair and gave it to me. The jewelry hanging by a silver thread at the tip of it was a teardrop emerald gem. I was about to question her about what to do about it but she cut me off.

"If you find my husband…" her hold onto her skirt tightened.

"…You… want me to bring him back here?" I asked.

"No…"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Tell him that Sakura Li is waiting for him…"

I stood there for a moment, not knowing what to say. I was witnessing the struggle between a couple separated for god knows for how long, and I had to play the messenger in-between. I'm not sure if I like the idea to be involved in all of this.

"Uhmm…but I..."

"Please…they won't allow women to enter the camp…" Her voice barely reached above a whisper that I had to lean in to hear.

Her eyes were hopeful, and I couldn't bring myself to betray my savior.

"I…guess so…"

She smiled "Thank you" and sighed tiredly yet contented.

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"Captain Ryu! My goodness! We thought you were dead!"

"Spare me the talk. Let me in."

The gate was lifted and I clung desperately to my support while entering. With a wave of my hand, I dismissed the young ones who came to aid me and headed for the rear of the camp. Some people who recognized me came to greet me and I saw the curt nods the other captains signaled me.

I felt like a sheep who just found its way back to its herd.

After the trivial handshakes and pats in the back, I finally found myself at where I wanted to be. The guard didn't bother to warn me that they were bringing in new people and I had to dodge the running people who were moving the stretchers in and out of this part of the camp.

I found my way to where Li was and sat on the ground, not bothering to greet him like all the others did.

I cleared my throat and looked heavenward.

"So…I just met your wife. She seems like a nice woman…I can't believe that you, of all people, are married to her."

Silence.

I didn't expect much of a conversation anyway the minute I passed the guard.

I pulled the lacquered chopstick out of my coat and showed it into the light.

"Recognize this? You gave it to her right, general?"

Still nothing.

"Well I thought so. You know, I learned a lot of interesting things about you today."

I dug the ground and buried it, just in case someone decides to take it.

I then stood up, knowing that I was wasting my time. My eyes didn't leave him and I had a second thought.

I bent down and rubbed the dirt off my general…or what was left of him.

A vague wave of sadness washed through me as I cleared the weeds that marked the general's name engraved on the smooth rock.

"Y'know…I have a message for you, from her."

My vision blurred, I reminded myself that emotions were not required in war. It was the first lesson Li taught me, yet I couldn't help myself. I always did get blasted by General Li for being emotionally weak.

"She said that she's waiting for you to come back…always has been and always will be."

The first drop slid down my face.

"Damn you…getting killed so easily……"

I didn't care anymore if I had already started to cry a river.

"She was waiting for you for so long…you sonuva…"

I broke down and held onto the stone.

I never did like my general, but I wanted to believe in something beautiful……The part in a fairytale when two long lost lovers finally get to see each other after the war.

Fate just showed me one of the many cruelties in this world.

End-

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A/N: Another fic done. –smile- I was inspired by a passage in the game KotOR II (Knights of the Old Republic, The Sith Lords) When Carth told the exile to pass along the 'I'm waiting' message to Revan. Awww, I thought it was so sweet.

Well, June's coming up, so that means a lot of exams. –sigh-

Don't forget to leave a review.

Rinslet


	2. Chapter II

A/N: Yeah...it was supposed to be just a one-shot. But then another idea hit me, so I did what I thought I should do: write another chapter. –smile-

**Disclaimer:** I do not own CCS, it rightfully belongs to the talented CLAMP.

English is not my first language, so forgive me if I make mistakes…

**Summary: **"If you find my husband…" her hold onto her skirt tightened. "You want me to bring him back here?" I asked. "No…tell him that Sakura Li is waiting for him…" AU two-shots

The Messenger, part two  
by Rinslet

_I didn't know if she knew…but I suspected that she did…_

Yet, embracing the truth never is an easy thing to do. 

**-Soldier's POV- **

A few years back, after the war against those demons ended, I came back to that little village.

I installed myself there and started a little work on my own.

She asked me if the message was passed on, I nodded.

The discussion ended there and that was it. She didn't ask how he was or whatever.

Days, months and years passed.

Most of the times, she would pass by and ask the same thing: "Did you pass along the message?"

I would nod and that would be the end of it.

- -

I sat beside her bed, where she lay dying. I knew that her end was coming.

She held onto my hand like she would to a son and turned toward me.

"Did you pass along the message?"

I held my breath.

"Did…you?"

There was nothing else for me to do; I wanted to give her a measure of peace before her end, after all, she had been waiting for 2 decades.

"Yeah…" I held onto her frail hand a little bit tighter "He said that he's waiting too. Always has, always will be, until you join him up there."

Her expression was peaceful; I thought I saw her face go back to its previous beauty before she slipped into a deep slumber that would last forever.

I let go of her hand and went to tell the other villagers that she had passed away. Some of them cried, well aware of her kind nature and sweetness. Others were touched by her devotion toward the general, waiting for him until the very end.

I think I loved her… since the very moment I opened my eyes after being rescued by her. I understood how my general could've fallen for her. She was the spring's warmth that could melt even the coldest of hearts.

A/N: good? bad? I know it was short. –smile sheepishly- Well, that's it for The Messenger.


End file.
